


Chemistry

by IAmANonnieMouse



Series: AELDWS 2019 [2]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Chemistry, M/M, POV Outsider, YOUR AUTHOR IS A CHEM NERD, Yusuf POV, lots of chemistry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-07-07 22:30:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19859068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmANonnieMouse/pseuds/IAmANonnieMouse
Summary: Acid + Base = Water + Salt





	Chemistry

**Author's Note:**

> AELDWS Week 2  
> Prompt: Litmus Test  
> Genre: Canon  
> Word Count: Between 300 and 400 words

Although dreamshare is currently Yusuf's one and only love, chemistry was his first.

It's intoxicating and exciting, tracking electrons, mixing liquids to form solids.

Titrations have always been his favorite: acid in one flask, base in another, drip-drip-dripping from a buret until the solution is pink, or blue, or purple, or yellow.

(He probably shouldn't say this, but the colors look prettiest when he does the titrations wrong.)

Strong acids and bases are corrosive, concentrated enough to burn a hole straight through your clothes, but when combined, they neutralize each other and form water and a stable salt.

People, in a way, are like acids and bases. Some are stronger than others, some more corrosive or reactive. Yusuf uses his own litmus test to categorize the people around him on a modified pH scale. Dreamshare seems to attract only the strong ones—or perhaps the weak are simply overpowered.

Eames is acidic. He pushes insistently against the boundaries of reality, clashes with anything that restricts him. When disturbed, he reacts in a second, faster than Hydrogen with Alkali Metals and just as deadly.

At first, Yusuf mistakes Arthur for another acid. Prickly, combative, always ready for a fight. But then he realizes that's only true around Eames. In reality, Arthur is a base, just as corrosive and deadly, but equally ready to eliminate threats, clean up messes.

Apart, they're volatile, fiercely independent. Together, they keep each other steady as a stable salt. Their jobs run smoothly, flawlessly. When they're under, with the clock tick-tick-ticking away, they flow like a choreographed dance, never a moment's hesitation between them.

Yusuf watches them circle each other over the years, waits for them to recognize that they are equals, strong enough to match each other every step of the way. When the wedding invitation finally arrives in his mail, he sends back his RSVP with a broad smile and two strips of litmus paper, one bright red, the other dark blue.

**Author's Note:**

> An excerpt of the conversation between Flosculatory and me during the editing process:
> 
> Mousie: im legit gonna delete the first between them, then send this damn thing in and if i get eliminated i dont even give a shit anymore im just sick of it  
>   
> Flos: OMG  
> Flos: Let me reread it tf  
> Flos: If there is somehow a last minute typo WE DO NOT GO DOWN LIKE THIS  
>   
> Mousie: ah crap i need a title and summary  
> Mousie: THIS DAMN THING NEVER ENDS HUH  
>   
> Flos: UGH I STILL LIKE SALT MORE THAN WATER GODDAMMIT  
>   
> Mousie: DAMN CHEMISTRY FUCKING THINGS UP  
> Mousie: i agree w you about the salt is better than water but I HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO WRITE IT  
> Mousie: :head_desk:  
> Mousie: im not missing any idk warnings am i lol  
>   
> Flos: Warnings: too much fucking chemistry  
> Flos: Warnings: I'm a fucking nerd  
> Flos: Warnings: science ahead  
>   
> Mousie: Warnings: Lots of Chemistry bc Author is a #NERD  
> Mousie: tags: This is the massive chemistry fic you've all been waiting for folks  
>   
> Flos: Wait this is supposed to be A/E??? I thought this was a Yusuf gen competition


End file.
